In the simplest way of answering this question, I don’t create my characters. They won’t let me. Sometimes I just want to write about ballerinas that ride motorcycles. But do they let my write about ballerinas that ride motorcycles? Of *course* not. My characters suddenly decide that they don’t want to ride motorcycles—they want Vespas, and who needs ballet when they can have hip hop.

Quite frustrating, believe me.

They won’t even let me name them! They name themselves, which proves to be a bit of an issue when—like in my NaNoWriMo novel—they decide that their names are something ridiculous, like… I don’t know…Friday, April and June. **What am I supposed to do with that?! Huh? Stupid characters. In sort of roundabout way, because I had these name for them, I actually created the story I did, which I’m not sure I would have if I didn’t. But still. If my characters cooperated with me, things would be easier ya know?**

Lots of things help me get the general essence of the character though. You know, just their main characteristics.

Something that personally helps me is music. What would they put on a playlist? What kind of music do they like? Do they like The Cure? Do they *know* they like The Cure? This is the stuff I try to gage about RL people, so it’s about second nature to me when the person doesn’t even exist out of my head yet.

Another thing? Just start writing. Put them in a situation. Their dog dies maybe, or their parents divorce, perhaps they find out that their half sister’s fiancé is actually their uncle, that her half sister isn’t related to her and that her mother adopted her from an unwilling teenage psychic. Oh just kidding. That’s ridiculous. Who would write a story like that? *coughs nervously.*

But seriously. Just see how they would react to stuff. Who they run to. When they stand alone. Sometimes you don’t even have to write it all out, just imagine. For me, that’s the stuff I have to figure out just in the situation. If I *did* have a plan, my character would wreck it anyway so there’s not really much point.

And how do I relate to my characters? I’m not sure I do. Most of the book, I’m just extremely POed at all of them for not listening to me, and by the time I have to appreciate them, then I’m just so happy the rough draft is done that I weep. Any anyway, they’re all made out of me and my brain anyway. It’s hard to relate to yourself. You *are* yourself. (Oh. I am a genius with words.)

So, over all my characters are all impossibly big aspects of my story and also tiny. I mean, I don’t understand how I work, how should I figure out other people? That’s just mean.

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Great post! My characters usually don’t start fighting for independence until I’m at least halfway through the story. I start out molding them like clay, and then the clay comes to life and starts pelting me with scrap bits of itself.
Okay, so maybe that analogy got a little out of hand, but you get the point.

Teehee. I actually do have some eerie music. It’s just not the normal type. Actually looking at her playlist, a lot of it is at least a tad eerie. I’m a bit more into… I don’t know. Contemporary stories I suppose?

That’s very interesting! I never thought of making the music playlists, probably because I’m not “musical” or whatever. I love hearing people’s approaches to these things. Sorry for not writing a comment earlier- it’s been crazy for me lately.

No biggie, thanks for commenting at all! 🙂 Yeah, I’m pretty much big into music, so things like playlists and such are second nature to my characters. My story is usually centered around music in some way.